Isra' and Mi'raj: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Night journey undertaken by Muhammad in Islamic tradition}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}{{for|the 17th chapter of the Quran|al-Isra'}}

[[File:Miraj by Sultan Muhammad.jpg|thumb|1543 illustration of the [[Mi'raj]] from an edition of the ''[[Khamsa of Nizami|Khamsa]]'' of [[Nizami Ganjavi]] created for Shah [[Tahmasp I|Tahmasp&nbsp;I]]<ref>Bowker. ''World Religions''. p. 165.</ref>|360x360px]]

[[File:Mohammed on Heaven.jpg|thumb|right|Ascension of Muhammad, Topkapı Palace Museum, Istanbul, 18th century (copy of a work probably created in the 8th century)]]

The '''Israʾ''' and '''Miʿraj''' ({{langx|ar|الإسراء والمعراج}}, ''{{transliteration|ar|al-’Isrā’ wal-Miʿrāj}}'') are the names given to the narrations that the prophet [[Muhammad]] ascended to the sky during a night journey, saw [[Allah]] and the [[afterlife]], and returned. It is believed that expressions without a subject in verses 1-18 of [[surah An-Najm]] and some verses of 17th [[surah]] of the [[Quran]], commonly called ''[[al-Isra']]'',<ref name="alisra">{{qref|17|1|c=y}}</ref> allude to the story. Framework and the details are elaborated and developed<ref name="Britannica-Miʿrāj">{{cite web |last1=Zeidan. |first1=Adam |title=Miʿrāj |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Miraj-Islam |website=Britannica |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref><ref name=Reiter-2008/> in the [[Miraj Nameh|miraculous accounts]], some of which are based on [[hadith]], the reports, teachings, deeds and sayings of Muhammad collected later centuries attributed after him. The story of the journey and ascent are marked as one of the most celebrated in the [[Islamic calendar]]—27th of the Islamic month of [[Rajab]].<ref name="times">{{Cite news|title=A night journey through Jerusalem |date=18 August 2007|access-date=27 March 2011|author=Bradlow, Khadija|work=[[The Times|Times Online]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/a-night-journey-through-jerusalem-zxxb7n0bbpn |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[Ibn Sa'd]] summarizes the earliest version of the written stories<ref name="H. Busse 1991, S. 7" /> under the title "Ascension and the Order of Prayer" and dated the event to a Saturday, the 17th of Ramadan, eighteen months before Muhammad's [[Hijrah]].<ref>Die Angaben in [[Hans Wehr]]: ''Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart'' (ʿ-r-ǧ): ''die Himmelfahrt (die Muḥammad von Jerusalem aus am 27. Raǧab unternommen hat)'' sind entsprechend zu korrigieren. Dies geht nicht auf das Traditionsmaterial, sondern auf den willkürlich festgelegten [[Islamische Festtage|Festtag]] der Muslime zurück</ref> According to him, the angels [[Gabriel]] and [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]] accompanied Muhammad to a place in the sacred precinct of the [[Kaaba]], between the well of [[Zamzam Well|Zamzam]] and [[Maqam Ibrahim]]. There, a ladder (miʿrāj) is said to have been set up by Muhammad and Gabriel, with whose help they ascended to heaven. When he reached the top, Muhammad is said to have met the previous prophets. According to one version of the tradition, Gabriel held Muhammad's hand tightly and ascended with him to heaven.<ref>H.Busse (1991), S. 8</ref> When he reached the [[Sidrat al-Muntaha]] mentioned in Sura 53, verse 14,<ref>So in der Übersetzung von „sidrat al-muntahā“ bei [[Rudi Paret]]; bei H. Busse (1991), S. 7 steht: Lotusbaum</ref> Muhammad saw heaven and hell. So, he was required to perform the original [[Salah|fifty prayers]], which were reduced to five by the intervention of [[Moses]].

[[Sunni|Sunni culture]] adds to the story that [[Abu Bakr]], who heard about the miracle from the pagans, approved the event without question and was given the title of ''al-Ṣiddīq'', the Veracious.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.islamawareness.net/Isra/miracle.html | title=Miracle of Al-Isra & Al-Miraj }}</ref> In the version accepted in Sunnism, the story tells of Muhammad's negotiations with God, who ordered him and his ummah to pray 50 times a day under the guidance of the prophet Moses. After repeated back and forth and negotiations, the 50 times a day was reduced to 5.<ref>{{cite book|last1=al-Tabari|title=The History of al-Tabari volume VI: Muhammad at Mecca|date=1989|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=0-88706-706-9}}</ref> In the [[Alawite]]-[[Bektashi]] culture there is no place for the five daily prayers and they add to the story that during his meeting with Allah, Allah spoke to Muhammad by [[Ali]]'s voice and that he joined the [[40's majlis]] on his return journey, a meeting very important for him. In the [[Miraj Nameh|mirajnama]]s, religious/political leaders who lived centuries after Muhammad, such as [[Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan|Satuq Bughra Khan]], [[Ahmad Yasawi]] and [[Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī]], are also included in stories. Thus, the views and practices of these persons are legitimized and included among the fundamental parts of Islamic culture and glorified.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20210207124232/http://www.openaccess.hacettepe.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11655/1404/a117bf7a-fac5-4cd7-b6ff-94a54f8d9538.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2025}}</ref>

{{Islamic Culture}}

==Terminology==

While ''alAl-’Isrā’'' litliterally means "to make someone walk," frequently translated as walking or traveling at night; and. ''ʿMiʿrāj'' litliterally means "ascending device" /, ladder"<ref>the Mi’raj, an Arabic word that literally means “ladder” https://www.sufiway.eu/laylatul-miraj-friday-15th-may-2015/</ref> or "ascending place" as counted ''me'raj'', derived from "''uruj"'', lit means "rising," or "going up to a high place".<ref name="Khan">{{cite web |last1=Khan |first1=Asad |title=The Miracle of Isra (Night Journey) and Miraj (Ascension |url=https://www.academia.edu/35946712 |website=Academia |access-date=14 October 2023}}</ref> The fact that the general name given to the stories is Miʿrāj rather than uʿruj may be a reference to the ladder motif in early narratives mentioned above.

=== Journey ===

[[File:New York Public Library, Spencer Collection Turk. MS. 3 Siyar-i Nabî fol. 6r Muhammad leads prayer in Celestial Mosque.jpg|thumb|Islamic miniature of Muhammad leading a prayer of all [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophets and messengers]] in a Celestial Mosque during Isra' and Mi'raj]]

There are different accounts of what occurred during the Miʿraj. [[Al-Tabari]]'s description can be summarized as; Muhammad ascends into heaven with [[Gabriel]] and meets a different prophet at each of [[seven heavens|the seven levels of heaven]]; first [[Adam in Islam|Adam]], then [[John the Baptist#Islam|John the Baptist]] and [[Jesus in Islam|Jesus]], then [[Joseph in Islam|Joseph]], then [[Idris (prophet)|Idris]], then [[Aaron]], then [[MosesAbraham in Islam|MosesAbraham]], and lastly [[AbrahamMoses in Islam|AbrahamMoses]]. Then continues to meet God without Gabriel. God tells Muhammad that his people must pray 50 times a day, but on return to Earth, he meets Moses, who tells him persistently, "return to God and ask for fewer prayers because fifty is too many". Muhammad goes between Moses and God nine times, until the prayers are reduced to the five daily prayers, which God will reward tenfold.<ref>{{cite book|last1=al-Tabari|title=The History of al-Tabari volume VI: Muhammad at Mecca|date=1989|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=0-88706-706-9}}</ref>

Some narratives also record events that preceded the heavenly ascent. Muhammad's chest was opened up, and Zamzam water was poured on his heart, giving him wisdom, belief, and other necessary characteristics to help him in his ascent. This purification thematheme is also seen in the trial of the drinks. It is debated when it took place—before or after the ascent—but either way, it plays an important role in asserting Muhammad's spiritual righteousness.<ref name="Routledge">{{cite book|last1=Vuckovic|first1=Brooke Olsen|title=Heavenly Journeys, Earthly Concerns: The Legacy of the Miʿraj in the Formation of Islam|date=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-96785-6}}</ref>

TodaysToday's narrations consist of purifying Muhammad's heart, going to the [[Al-Aqsa]] (i.e. the Farthest or Noble Sanctuary) on [[Buraq]] (a winged horse-like creature) accompanied by [[Gabriel]] (named "Isra meaning night journey"), tying Buraq and leading the prophets such as [[Abraham in Islam|Ibrahim]], [[Moses in Islam|Musa]], and [[Jesus in Islam|Isa]] in prayer,<ref>{{cite book |title=Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity |first=Y. |last=Reiter |publisher=Springer |year=2008 |page=30 |isbn=978-1-349-37460-1 }}</ref> ascending to the sky (Miʿrāj) from the [[Foundation Stone| muallak (suspended) stone]],<ref>{{hadith-usc|usc=yes|bukhari|1|4|5|8|9|56|93|345|609|770}}</ref> conversations with Allah, dialogues with other prophets [[Seven heavens|in the different sky layers]], seeing [[Jannah|heaven]] and [[Jahannam|hell]], and returning sections.

In Islam, whether the Miraj is a physical or spiritual experience is also a matter of debate based on different arguments and evidence. The physical perception of the Miraj may imply [[Anthropomorphism and corporealism in Islam|attributing a physical space to God]], contradicting the understanding of transcendence ([[tanzih]]) that [[Attributes of God in Islam|attributed to God in Islam]]. Many sects and offshoots belonging to [[Islamic mysticism]] interpret Muhammad's night ascent to be an out-of-body experience through nonphysical environments,<ref>Brent E. McNeely, [http://www.bhporter.com/Porter%20PDF%20Files/The%20Miraj%20of%20Muhammad%20in%20an%20Asceneion%20Typology.pdf "The Miraj of Prophet Muhammad in an Ascension Typology"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530231238/http://www.bhporter.com/Porter%20PDF%20Files/The%20Miraj%20of%20Muhammad%20in%20an%20Asceneion%20Typology.pdf |date=30 May 2012 }}, p3</ref><ref>Buhlman, William, "The Secret of the Soul", 2001, {{ISBN|978-0-06-251671-8}}, p111</ref> stating "the apostle's body remained where it was"<ref>{{cite book| last1= Brown| first1= Dennis| last2= Morris| first2= Stephen| series= Rhinegold Eeligious Studies Study Guide| title= A Student's Guide to A2 Religious Studies: for the AQA Specification| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7OkAqYod1CgC| access-date= 10 January 2012| year= 2003| publisher= Rhinegold| ___location= London, UK| oclc= 257342107| isbn= 978-1-904226-09-3| page= 115| chapter= Religion and Human Experience| chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7OkAqYod1CgC&pg=PA115| quote= The revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad [includes] his Night Journey, an out-of-body experience where the prophet was miraculously taken to Jerusalem on the back of a mythical bird (buraq)....| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160210074350/https://books.google.com/books?id=7OkAqYod1CgC| archive-date= 10 February 2016| url-status= live}}</ref> while the majority of Islamic scholars claim that the journey was both a physical and spiritual one.<ref name=enc>{{cite book |editor1-first=Richard C. |editor1-last=Martin |editor2-first=Saïd Amir |editor2-last=Arjomand |editor2-link=Saïd Amir Arjomand|editor3-first=Marcia |editor3-last=Hermansen |editor4-first=Abdulkader |editor4-last=Tayob |editor5-first=Rochelle |editor5-last=Davis |editor6-first=John Obert |editor6-last=Voll |title=Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World |year=2003 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|Macmillan Reference USA]] |isbn=978-0-02-865603-8 | page = 482}}</ref>

[[File:Miraj-BNF-1436.jpg|thumb|The Night Journey showing Muhammad, [[Buraq]], Gabriel, Noah, and Idris in the Second Heaven. One of 60 miniatures in the ''[[Miraj Nameh]]'' of the [[Timurid dynasty]] artists [[illuminated manuscript]] from [[Herat]] in [[Chaghatai language|Chaghatai]] with [[New Persian]] and [[Arabic]] captions. [[Bibliothèque nationale de France]].]]
[[File:The rock of the Dome of the Rock Corrected.jpg|upright=1.3|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Foundation Stone|A stone associated with the Miraj in Islamic tradition and blessed]]; The round hole at upper left penetrates to a small cave, known as the [[Well of Souls]], below.]]

[[File:Temple Mount (Aerial view, 2007) 05.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Dome of the Rock]], at the [[Temple Mount]]. Build by the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] [[Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan|Abd al-Malik]] during the [[Second Fitna]] in 691–692 CE, on [[Foundation Stone|blessed rock]] mentioned above.]]

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===The Quran===

[[Al-Isra'|The 17th chapter of the Quran]] takes its name from a word used in the first verse, which is presented as the first stage of the journey, expressed as Isra. However, the Surah was known as the Surah "banu Israel" "Children of Israel" during the time of the companions and the successors,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soorat al-Isra' is also called Soorat Bani Isra'eel - Islam Question & Answer |url=https://islamqa.info/en/answers/163112/soorat-al-isra-is-also-called-soorat-bani-israeel |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=islamqa.info |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.englishtafsir.com/Quran/17/index.html | title=17. Surah al Isra (The Night Journey), also known as Surah Bani Israil (The Children of Israel) - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - the Meaning of the Qur'an }}</ref> and other views state that the relevant verse, together with the verses that follow it, tells about the [[The Exodus|Exodus]] of the [[Israelites|Children of Israel]] from Egypt (..his servant means Moses, in this case).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UxqqZTB4d4 | title=Canlı Yayında Miraç Hadisesi ve Hurafe Tartışması | website=[[YouTube]] | date=22 March 2024 }}</ref> According to a different interpretation of the verse through Muhammad, the Al-aqsa used in the verse is not associated with Jerusalem, but with Cirana[[Al-Ji'rana]], which is located near Mecca.<ref>https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/378422</ref> in response to the verse implying that Masjid al-Haram is a night walk from Masjid al-Aqsa:

{{blockquote|Glory be to the One Who took His servant by night from the[[Masjid Sacred Mosqueal-Haram]] to the Farthest[[Al-Aqsa Mosque|Masjid al-Aqsa]] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.|{{qref|17|1|c=y}}}}

An expression that is connected with the ascention part of the story<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Colby |first=Frederick S.|date=2002|title=The Subtleties of the Ascension: al-Sulamī on the Mi'rāj of the Prophet Muhammad|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1596216 |journal=Studia Islamica |issue=94 |pages=167–183 |doi=10.2307/1596216 |jstor=1596216 |issn=0585-5292|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>Lange, C. (2015). Paradise and hell in Islamic traditions. Cambridge University Press.p. 112</ref> is the subject-free poetic expressions in the {{transliteration|ar|surah [[an-Najm]]}}.